First Time, Last Chance
by Xiyazaki
Summary: He loved her. Loved her so much that he was willing to rewrite time and alter history so that she would finally be his. Kouga knew this would be his last chance for love. He would be the first one that Kagome met in the feudal era. Not Inuyasha.
1. For Another Time

First Time, Last Chance

* * *

Kouga's soft, azure shaded eyes glowered with a hidden love as soon as he spotted the raven haired girl settled cozily by the fire, the ember glow dancing across her face. At the sight of Kagome, his heart filled with an immense longing to be near her. He was only faintly aware of the content smile that his lips had curved into, remembering what it was like to hear her voice, and to see her smile. But he felt a sudden rage creeping into his expression at the other sight that lay before him. 

The damn hanyou Inuyasha was sitting beside Kagome. 

The wolf demon scowled in intense hatred for the other demon. That is, _half-demon_. How was it possible that the mutt was the one seated with the love of his life, and he was the one crouched behind them with no company save for the trees that hid him? 

Luck. That's what it was. The hanyou had been incredibly lucky. He had been the one that Kagome had stumbled upon. Kouga felt a pang of jealousy. Yes, how fortunate it was that the reincarnated miko had found the stupid dog, asleep with an arrow stuck through his chest. After being awakened by the spirit of the young girl, Inuyasha had recruited her as his own personal shard detector. It was obvious that he had grown attached to her. She reminded the dog of his former love, no doubt. Kouga cursed silently, a growl rumbling in his throat. 

He tensed, seeing Kagome turn towards his direction, as if she had heard him. Her hazel eyes swept over his neck of the forest, and for a moment, their gazes seemed to meet. But, Kagome turned back around, and he breathed a sigh of relief. She hadn't seen him. It was rather surprising that the hanyou hadn't sniffed out his scent yet. Upon a deeper inspection of his enemy, Kouga realized exactly why that was. 

Though Inuyasha had carefully maintained a casual expression, and his trademark scowl, Kouga could immediately tell that he was watching Kagome with a lovesick expression. While humans might not have been able to read the hanyou's starry-eyed gaze, a demon such as himself could distinguish it without hesitation. 

Kouga stiffened angrily, glaring at Inuyasha, who had not yet removed his gaze from Kagome. She, having noticed nothing, smiled down at the fox cub who was asleep in her lap. As for the monk and the exterminator, they had separated from the others for a short while to be only in each other's presence under the starry sky. Kouga had passed them earlier, but hadn't bothered to pay attention to them. After all, it was Kagome he was interested in. Not her friends. 

They all looked peaceful, and he knew the cause of that peace. After months of searching for the Shikon shards, Kagome, the mutt, and the others had finally discovered the last shard. He scowled slightly, feeling the emptiness of power clutch him. After Kagome had pleaded with him, he had finally given her the two Shikon shards that he had claimed as his own. He had never really noticed the absence of its incredible might until now. 

As hard as it was to believe, the hanyou had not yet used the power of the Shikon Jewel to transform into a full demon. Kagome had told Kouga once that it was all that Inuyasha desired. 

To become a true demon. 

Even now, standing at an even distance away from the others, Kouga could feel the power of the jewel radiating across the midnight atmosphere. It was hidden safely away from view, he was sure. But, for some reason, he did not feel hungry for its power. At least, not so that he could use it to become invincible again. 

A smile did touch his lips when he imagined the damage that he had managed to inflict upon the hanyou when he had possessed the strength. He shot a murderous glare at the back of Inuyasha's head. 

And all of a sudden, Inuyasha seemed to snap out of his daze, a solemn type of look upon his face. Kouga leaned forward instinctively, knowing that the hanyou was going to say something vital. How right he was. 

"Kagome..." the hanyou began. 

"Hmm?" Kagome turned to look at Inuyasha, and Kouga felt his chest tighten with dread. It was rather obvious that something dramatic was unfolding before him. 

He narrowed his eyes, his sharp hearing picking up every word that the hanyou spoke clearly. 

Inuyasha folded his arms almost impatiently, turning his gaze away from her. He looked slightly irritated. "Now that we've found the last shard, there's really no need for you to stay here."

The wolf demon took note of the way that Kagome took the news. "Oh..." she replied, in a voice unlike her own. "If that's how you feel..." She prepared to get up, but had nearly forgotten the resting kitsune on her lap and had almost knocked the cub over in the process. 

Inuyasha's arm reached out and gently stopped her. "Wait, Kagome. I wasn't finished yet." He scowled slightly, glancing at the soil beneath his feet. His fingers danced over Tetsusaiga's hilt in a nervous manner. "There's no point in you staying here. But..." he paused, still not daring to watch her. "...I want you to stay here anyway." 

This produced a triple reaction. Kagome's expression was that of an indescribable joy; Inuyasha's was of a content sort of shock when Kagome hugged him; and Kouga's was that of somber understanding. It was now too late for him to do anything. Inuyasha had practically made a full confession in front of Kagome. And Kagome did not appear to be upset about this all. 

That could have been him standing there with Kagome in his arms. 

A sick feeling of nausea washed over him mercilessly. One moment. That one moment that Kagome had happened to spot Inuyasha on her first day in the feudal era. He and his pack had been in that very village that Kagome and Inuyasha had been near. Kouga had been prowling around the village for food. If he had lingered in the village for only one moment longer, she would have met him first. 

One moment. 

And this single moment here, when Inuyasha had subtly hinted at his true feelings for the girl. 

He recalled his previous thought. That could have been him standing there with Kagome in his arms. No. He cast the thought aside with the angered toss of his head. 

That _should_ have been him standing there with Kagome in his arms.  

Damn it. He could watch the two no more, feeling hurt, and dazed. Kouga turned to leave, ignoring the guilt in his heart. It had been his fault as well that Kagome was not here with him. He should have confessed his true feelings for her. The wolf demon sighed. When he had tried to explain it to Kagome the last time, she had misunderstood his interpretation for love, and instead had thought he only needed her to detect shards for him. 

There was no point in him being here.

Not anymore.

He moved to cast one last glance at the object of his affections... 

_'Goodbye, Kagome...'_

...When a small glare of light caught his eye. His brow wrinkled in bewilderment. What had that been? And then he felt its power, seemingly directed at him. It had been the Shikon Jewel; a moonbeam had splayed across its surface and shot a ray of incandescence forth. It had been inside Kagome's bag, but when Kagome had risen halfway to her feet, she had knocked the bag over, forcing the Jewel from its hidden position. That was all. 

The damn Shikon Jewel. The reason behind Kagome and Inuyasha's pairing in the first place. It had been the search for the celestial entity that had led to...

Kouga glanced bitterly towards the two, who were staring into the fire, still unaware that he was watching. Inuyasha's arm had slipped around Kagome's shoulders, and she had placed her head tenderly on his shoulder. Jealously surged through the wolf demon once more.

The Shikon Jewel. 

Wait. 

His heart nearly stopped in his chest, overwhelmed by the flood of dawning that had been unleashed in his mind. His eyes widened slightly. 

The Shikon Jewel had been said to have the capability of a single wish. 

He was an idiot. Why hadn't he realized this sooner? In all of his anguish, Kouga had temporarily forgotten that Inuyasha previously wanted to use the Jewel to become a full-blooded demon. 

It could _grant a wish_.

He mused silently. Any wish? 

The newly formed thought sank into his head with ease. 

If it could grant any wish...

Then he'd be able to change time. 

He'd be able to change it all. Kouga was not as foolish as to wish for Kagome to fall in love with him through the Shikon Jewel's power; he knew that it would lead to utter devastation and chaos if he dared to interfere with history that much. 

His wish remained unspoken in his mind, for he did not want to curse a desire that had not yet been cast, but he could still feel the deathly grip of another opportunity. Another chance to be with Kagome. His last chance, in fact. 

He'd do it. He'd do whatever it took to make Kagome his. 

There was no hesitation as he leapt from nature's cover, startling the hanyou and the ningen girl. 

"Kouga?" 

"Hey! Just what the hell do you think you're doing?"

He could hear _her_ voice crying out in confusion. He could also hear the mutt's voice snapping in anger. His heart nearly melted at the sound of Kagome's voice, and it was hard not to look at her and permit himself a glance of her beauty. But he waved the voices away, reminding himself to stay focused. 

Where was it? He cursed silently. The jewel had fallen onto the ground somewhere. And though he was able to see in the dark, he could not make out its crystalline figure amidst the things scattered all over the ground. His eyes swept hastily over towards Kagome's knapsack. 

There it was! The Jewel!

The bag laid there, the contents spilled upon the grass. The Shikon Jewel was exposed, glittering softly as it called out for him. He reached out for it. 

Finally, the hanyou realized what he was after, growling as he jumped to his feet. But it was too late. The wolf demon's fingers grasped the cool, smooth jewel, feeling its power grip him in a dead lock. 

The jewel began to glow, and the wind began to pick up speed, rustling the leaves among the trees. The sky darkened even more, turning into the charcoal shade that reminded Kouga of death. The fire roared, the flames licking at the air with a vicious response. 

The hanyou had stopped moving, unable to go any further. The jewel's power had forced him to halt in his tracks, for it had created some sort of unseen force field around the wolf demon. Kouga was only a few inches away from the hanyou. Kagome stood behind Inuyasha, her hazel eyes filled with a great despair. Although they could not physically touch him, or move any further towards him, they could still speak. 

"_What the hell is going on_?" Inuyasha snarled at him. 

"Kouga...?" Kagome whispered softly, her expression that of disbelief. He could still hear the traces of alarm and panic in her voice. 

He had already made up his mind. There was no going back. Not even if it was scaring Kagome. He lowered his head in apology to her. 

Not wanting to wait any longer, the wolf demon thrust the hand into the air, the jewel clenched tightly in his fingers. Lightening pawed at the darkness, illuminating his face. And for a moment, Kouga could hear nothing but the sound of his own breathing. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes. 

"Shikon Jewel, I command you to alter time! Let me be the first one that Kagome met!" Kouga yelled into the night. He opened his eyes again, his eyes flickering in anticipation. 

The ground beneath them began to tremble violently. 

"No! Kouga!" Kagome yelled. She didn't understand what he had wished for, but he knew that she feared he had abused its power. The lightening flashed again, this time striking the ground and causing a chain reaction. Several beams of light plummeted to the ground. Kouga covered his eyes to protect himself from going blind; the light was far too bright. He had seen Kagome and Inuyasha do the same. 

And the ground suddenly gave way. 

They were all falling. 

And she was falling right beside him. 

He reached out for Kagome...

Their fingers touched, and so did their gazes. 

She was frightened. 

He tried to grab on to her, to hold her for this one time before everything was changed. But they were drifting further apart from each other. 

"Kouga!" Kagome yelled. 

He couldn't make himself reply.

Inuyasha was nowhere to be seen. He had simply vanished somewhere. It had begun, Kouga thought, with a light satisfaction. Time was being rewritten. He would meet Inuyasha again, that was for sure. But hopefully, it would not be soon. 

Kouga conjured his last thought before being encased in a blanket of endless light. 

'_Kagome...I love you."_

And then the world was no more. 

* * *

(A.N. Here I am, attempting to write yet _another_ story, knowing that I still haven't updated the other fanfiction stories that I wrote. Eep. I haven't had the time to finish writing everything, but I will update in the next two weeks! I just had the inspiration to write this story, and so here it is. I have a couple more ideas for stories, and I wish I had more time to write them all. Time goes by far too fast, wouldn't you all agree? I really hope you guys liked this chapter. If you did, please do review and let me know! Thanks for your time. ^^)


	2. Down the Well

First Time, Last Chance 

Chapter 2

_There was darkness all around, the unsettled shadiness of night engulfing all that lived. But suddenly, waves of light pierced the growing serenity, destroying all in its path. The sky was falling, being erased out of existence. The darkness was everywhere..._

_Shadows..._

Kagome woke with a startled cry as her cat, Buyo, jumped onto her bed. Her trembling fingers tightened around her bed sheets as she bolted upright, the makings of a headache beginning to pick at her mind; she merely sighed softly and scratched Buyo's ears. He began purring contently as her fingers began playing with his ears, which was a peculiar habit that she had never been able to break. Buyo tilted his head, watching her with blazing eyes, and the intensity of that burning expression stirred up a cloudy remainder of her dream.

_Glowing eyes..._

_Whispering..._

_No. He..._

Kagome's headache throbbed as she fought desperately to remember. Who was this "_he"_? This hadn't been the first time that she had seen this dream.

_He had been...shouting something. _

_He..._

_Bang! _The door swung open loudly. "Happy Birthday, Kagome!" her family shouted, crowding eagerly around her bed. Kagome felt the last trace of previous thought slipping away from her memory like the flame of a candle being extinguished. But as the significance of the day sunk in, Kagome paid no mind to it, beaming happily at the faces around her.

Her younger brother, Souta, bounced onto her bed with a grin. "Open my present first!" Thrusting the delicately wrapped gift into her face, he started bobbing up and down on her mattress, chanting, "Open it, open it, open it!"

Kagome carefully unwrapped the box, forcing a grin at the gift that seemed too hideous for words. "Oh! It's a...um..." She coughed.

Souta pouted. "It's a mummified hand, Kagome! Isn't it _cool_!" His smile was too disarming, so Kagome laughed aloud and ruffled the kid's hair. "I love it."

"Good! I'm glad you like my present!" Souta smiled proudly. Kagome's grandfather cleared his throat loudly and exaggeratedly. She had suspected that he had played a part in this rather...interesting gift.

Her brother blinked and then seemed to understand. "It was from Grandpa too. He helped me pick it out!" Wow. She hadn't guessed. Kagome gently placed the hand back in the box. "Thank you Souta and Grandpa! I'll just leave it in here." _And feed it to Buyo later_, Kagome added silently. Buyo meowed, almost as if he knew what she was thinking.

"You two should start getting ready for school," Mrs. Higurashi said, turning to leave Kagome's room. "I've already made breakfast, so come down when you're ready to go, okay?"

Kagome and Souta nodded. "Thanks, Mom!" Souta scampered out of the room, Buyo slinking after him for his morning stroll. And so she was alone.

Kagome sighed. A heavy curtain of foreboding hung over the suddenly chilly room as she struggle to remember the bits and pieces of her dream. Or had it been a nightmare? There was something that did not seem right...

Souta interrupted her thoughts, popping into her bedroom quickly. "Kagome, what are you doing? Mom says you're going to be late for school if you don't hurry! And plus, she says if you don't get dressed in two minutes, I can have your breakfast!"

That got her moving.

Kagome changed in a matter of seconds, grabbing her bag as she thundered out of her room. She ran to the kitchen in a mad dash to save her breakfast, where she spotted Souta eyeing her food. "Drop it, squirt! That's mine!" Kagome yelped.

As she sat there happily munching her food, Souta looked up from his meal, blinking. "That's weird. Buyo hasn't come back from his stroll yet." He pointed to the fresh bowl of food that he had poured for the cat. "He didn't even come running when I started pouring his food."

Kagome spooned the last of her breakfast into her mouth and got up from the table. "He's probably just lounging around. I'll go look for him." She waved to her family before leaving the house, and glanced hastily around the front area. No sign of the cat. Where could he be?

Five minutes had passed, and there was still no sign of Buyo. She was going to be late for school if she didn't start walking! Kagome frowned. Maybe she should head back inside and ask Souta to look for Buyo, because he was nowhere in sight.

She paused. _Unless..._

Kagome glanced at the shrine, sighing softly. She wasn't sure why, but the shrine had always sort of scared her. Not in the creepy sense of darkness, but in the underlying sense of another presence that lurked among the walls.

Once, as a child, she had ventured unsupervised into the shrine. Among its cold depths, Kagome had wandered towards the well, curiosity getting the better of her attention. Yet she had barely gone within three feet of the well when she felt it. Amongst the forbidden shadows playing in the corners of the shrine, something pulsed.

A whisper. The light feeling of a touch on her shoulder. A voice, calling her from within the well. She could actually _feel_ the pulling of some unknown force drawing her towards the well. Even with running as fast as she could, Kagome had felt the force lingering about her with a vengeance.

Thinking back on the experience, Kagome laughed to herself, though she wouldn't admit that it was a nervous sort of laugh. Perhaps it had all been the work of her devilish imagination, for she did have a habit of daydreaming of other worlds when she was a child. That was partly her grandfather's doing, as being the keeper of the shrine had resulted in his story-telling of demons and wars and curses in ancient history.

She took a deep breath as she paused before the entrance to the sacred place. Her hands clenched tightly, Kagome crossed over into the gloomy side of the shrine. As always, she greeted the darkness with a pained, nervous expression.

"Buyo? Buyo, where are you? Come here, Buyo!" Kagome called out softly as she walked around. She nearly shot out of her skin when she felt two hands grab her arm.

It was only Souta.

He rolled his eyes. "Geez, Kagome. What's with you?"

"What are you doing in here?" Kagome asked, hoping that her heart rate would soon return to normal.

"You took such a long time that Mom told me to get you _and_ Buyo." He grinned so roguishly that Kagome smiled, despite herself and hugged him. The sound of Buyo's meowing distracted the both of them from their brief brother-sister moment, and Souta squinted, pointing at a spot in the dark.

"There he is, Kagome! Over by the well. Quick! Get him!" Souta exclaimed excitedly.

Kagome nodded. "Okay." She moved carefully through the dim area, making out Buyo's lazy figure resting in front of the well. Shaking her head as she bent down and picked the cat up, she scratched his ears. "What a troublemaker!"

And suddenly thinking of the time, she gasped. "I'm going to be late for school!" Kagome began rising from her crouching position, and it was at that moment that she felt something happen.

Her back turned towards the well, she blinked in confusion at Souta's panicked expression. Eyes widened with chilling fear, her brother was trembling from head to toe, and he could barely lift his hand to point at something.

Huh? Was he pointing behind her?

"Ka...Kagome! Look out!" Souta finally managed to gasp.

But it was too late. Something grabbed her shoulders, and in the panic that ensued, her thoughts were lost in a jumbled maze of chaos. All Kagome could feel was the heavy weight of Buyo disappearing as he scrambled through her fingers.

She didn't have time to scream as she fell.

* * *

(A.N. sweatdrop I know that it has been months since I've last updated. I've been busy, but that is absolutely no excuse to leave you guys hanging for so long! I'm terribly sorry! Plus, I hate to admit this, but I got a mild case of writer's block when trying to think of how to write what I wanted in the story, and to make it perfect for the direction it'll go in. I got overexcited about future developments in the story and ended up not knowing how to start it off! But don't worry guys, I've got it all figured out, and I'm proud to say that I'm back! (Again...) ; So as an apology/bonus for my patient fans, I'm uploading a couple of chapters for you guys, since I know you'll kill me if I update the chapters one by one. I've also posted up another _Ten Lessons in Love_ chapter, and I will have a few mote _Only a Reflection Away_ chapters posted up by the end of next week. My internet has been down because of cable problems, so it's very, very slow to access websites, so it might take longer than I expect, until they fix the cable. In the meantime, please bear with me as I start up the postings again, and please accept my deepest apologies for my seeming lack of devotion to this story. This one's my personal favorite, so I promise not to let it go without a fight! So please, I hope you enjoy these chapters. Please read and review! And e-mail me!)


	3. Forbidden Eyes

First Time, Last Chance

Chapter 3

Her breath was ripped from her throat as Kagome turned to face the monstrous grip on her shoulders. The shock barely registered within her mind, leaving her unable to think, let alone realize what was before her.

It couldn't be a real demon that had its claws digging into her arm. It couldn't be.

Yet, the glowering eyes of the demon assured her otherwise. At first glance, the demon seemed a woman, but from her lower torso dangled several centipede-like limbs that wriggled about as the demon's body twisted and moved about. Kagome did her best to keep down her nausea.

"Give it to me!" It hissed into her ear suddenly. "The Shikon Jewel!"

Stifling a gasp of pain as its grip tightened forcibly on her arm, Kagome tried to wrench herself away from the horrible creature. "Let...go! You're not real!"

The demon's face contorted wickedly and began making a series of noises that Kagome could only assume was laughter. Shivers of disgust coursed through her body as the creature extended an abnormally long tongue and licked the side of her face.

"Yes, the power! I feel it!" The demon shrilled in continuation, "Hand it over, girl! The Shikon Jewel!" When the claws sank unbearably into her flesh, Kagome cried out, and felt something odd stirring within her.

Something was _inside _her, and it demanded to be released. A sea of striking lavender descended upon them in the deep abysmal dimension of the well, and it was only then that Kagome realized it was actually radiating from her body. Her eyes widened in shock as the demon shrank back from her, open-mouthed in horror as it disintegrated into nothing.

And after what seemed an eternity, Kagome hit the ground with a painful thud. It was now the other side of the well, the opening to an entirely new world she never thought would have existed.

Yet, the young girl, who could hardly believe the previous event, failed to notice the absence of the dark shrine hovering about the well. Instead, Kagome winced as she stood up, brushing off the dirt from her skirt. "Grandpa was right...there _are_ demons..."

Musing to herself about the strangeness of it all, she planned to climb out of the well and immediately alert her grandfather. But the fluttering of wings caught her attention, and Kagome blinked as a golden butterfly gently floated onto her outstretched fingers. Only then did she notice the rays of bold sunshine streaming in through the well.

Confusion caused her brow to wrinkle, and hoisting herself up by cleverly using cracks and spaces missing bricks, Kagome pulled herself out of her old life and into her new one. The intensity of the sun blasted her with a harsh, yet beautiful reality. She inhaled sharply.

A breezy ocean of green paradise met her gaze, rippling like the surface of a pond being disturbed as the wind caressed the open space. "Where...am I?" she asked herself, mesmerized by the untamed wildness that greeted her. The soft echoes of nature reached her ears, surprisingly gentle compared to the everyday blaring of city life.

But the knowledge that she was alone in this foreign land strangled the serenity of the area. Panic arose in her, and she knew that she had to go seek another person's aid. That is, if there _were_ any people existing in this demonic place. She finally seemed to realize the weight upon her shoulder, blinking in surprise at the backpack she had been wearing. Kagome had forgotten all about it. What was she going to do about school? And her family?

Exhausted by these distorted thoughts, she pushed them away, wanting to deal with a more current problem. What had that glowing light been in the well? It had come from her body, but why? This was giving her a serous headache...

Luckily for her, something across the horizon caught her attention, and she trudged wearily towards it, her hand shading the sun from her weary eyes. Maybe she could get some help and find out where she was.

It was a village. Kagome's hopes rose. There had to be people there! Her hair whipped past her fast as she ran with all her might, a frenzied desperation in her heart arising.

As she entered the village, however, she could easily sense that something was quite amiss. It was completely deserted, and the huts had been clearly ransacked. Biting her lip, it was all Kagome could do to keep from losing her cool and breaking down into tears. She was still straining to get a grip on herself when the hum of voices tickled her ear. Her heart rose once more.

Someone was still there! She strained to catch wind of the voices' origin, and, brow wrinkled in concentration, wandered further into the village. As she neared the people, it was hard to make out the figures. All that Kagome could tell was that they had their backs turned. Finally, some people!

Only a few feet away from the figures, she reached out towards one of them. Yet, before she even had the chance to utter a single word, Kagome's voice died in her throat as one turned around to face her.

Never had she seen such eyes...

A brilliant shade of azure blue met with cerulean, melting into separate divinations of color and emotion.

It was obvious that they were not ordinary humans. Like the one she had encountered in the well, these were demons standing before her. The one whom had turned around stared at her intensely. His eyes had widened for only a split second, barely noticeable. But there was something that disturbed her by his reaction. The sounds of the magical forest interrupted the silence with the soft sounds of birds and rustling trees, as if it understood the dark silence that stood between Kagome and the demon's breathing.

He was a wolf...

She stifled a gasp, eyes widening at the still new spectacle to her. There was an unmistakable handsomeness to this young demon, who also possessed a well toned body. He stood with a firm posture and a defiant air. Yet, it was his eyes that drew her in the most. Those eyes that iced over with uncertainty gazed at her deeply, almost as if he were drinking in her presence as much as she was his. He seemed so...alone...

Shaking her head, she tried to come to her senses.

Confused and disoriented, Kagome felt her grip on reality slipping past her fingers. The idea of demons existing was all so new to her, and yet, she felt almost a trace of familiarity with this demon. How was it possible to feel all these conflicting emotions at once?

"A ningen girl...?" he suddenly muttered in a rough voice.

Two of his companions turned and looked towards her, both in the process of stuffing food into their mouths. "What's that?"

This moment was disturbed by a spreading coldness in Kagome's body. Why did she feel like she knew him? Impossible! But as the strange silence overwhelmed them, both assessing the other, Kagome felt a strong presence in him that comforted her. It was hard not to drown in those deep eyes...eyes that possessed her with confusion, defiance, and protection.

This particular wolf demon was obviously a leader of some sort, for he held an air of unmistakable power about him. There was a deep feeling of authority and command that overwhelmed the curiosity in his gaze. He watched her silently, suddenly stepping forward. "What's a ningen still doing here?"

He turned with a suspicious quirk of his brow towards the other two demons. "I thought you said all the villagers abandoned their houses and left the food for us." His two friends winced, but Kagome noticed the amused quirk of his lips.

"Well, there was no one here when we checked, Kouga. Honest!" One of them replied, his lips forming a confused pout. So his name was Kouga...

All three of them suddenly directed their intense gazes upon Kagome, who was well beyond panicked now. She took hesitant steps backwards, preparing to make a run for it.

The wolf demon sensed the alert in her stance, and moved closer towards her with a solemn expression. "You're not from here, are you?" he asked suddenly.

What? Why was he asking this? She didn't know what to reply, and stood there nervously as he stepped closer and closer. "I...I don't know what you're talking about..." she stammered.

Without warning, he bent in to look her straight in the face, the haunting shade of his eyes examining her. He sniffed at her gingerly, pulling his body back but remaining unnervingly close to her. "You smell...different." His analytical eyes swept over her briefly, though deeply. "And your clothing, it's not typical of a villager living here. Who are you?"

And suddenly, those beautiful eyes flickered, changing once more along with his emotions. His expression gathered further confusion, but this time, there was more. He seemed frustrated with himself, appearing to wrestle internally with some secret knowledge.

"Have we...met before...?" he whispered huskily, sending dark chills down her spine. His two friends shifted uncomfortably, obviously unused to this type of approach from their leader. The mood shifted abruptly with his question.

"...No...we haven't..." Kagome answered, but at the quickening of her heartbeat, she suddenly wasn't so sure. Hadn't she seen him once before? His face? Those eyes? Perhaps once...in her dreams...

"But...I feel like we've met once before..." he murmured. "Tell me, then. Where are you from?"

_There was no escape_, Kagome thought frantically. Just when she had about given up all hope of evading this awkward and frightening situation, a earth shattering rumble broke the strained atmosphere. Kouga, if that was his name, immediately turned towards the direction of the noise.

One of his friends, who had a spiked hairstyle, had dashed off to scout the premise. He came rushing back, breathless. "It's a huge demon!" He attempted to indicate just how big it was with the flailing motions of his arms, but he soon realized that it wasn't working out quite as well as he'd hoped.

Kouga scowled. "Damn! What's another demon doing here? This is _our _territory!"

The other companion nodded. "Seems strange, the way that these demons have been popping up everywhere around this area so suddenly. They've never messed with our packs' territory before..."

"There must be something that's setting them off," Kouga muttered darkly. "Ginta, when did these attacks start?"

"Just a few days ago," the pack member replied.

Kouga looked towards Kagome, and she swallowed. Why was he looking at her like that? But before he could say anything, the ground was ripped apart before them as a furious demon tore out of the earth. With an appearance resembling that of a sea serpent, its shrill cry echoed through the deserted area and nearby forest. Its tail hovered above Kouga and Kagome for a split second, but the wolf demon was as quick as the wind.

Lifting her up into his arms, he sped off towards the clearing of forest that Kagome had briefly observed earlier. He set her down with an ease that she hadn't thought he was capable of. "Stay here. You'll be safe," he ordered.

She nodded. "Hai. Thank you..."

A faint smile touched his lips, and before she had time to say anything else, let alone blink, he was gone, back towards the demon for a battle well worth fighting. The nagging feeling that they knew each other was becoming a sickening sense of dread within her, and Kagome sighed deeply.

She had to clear her head. Kagome stretched her arms out, hoping to relieve some of the stressful tension in her body, when the soft rustling of the wind directed her attention towards the forest. A gentle presence was calling out to her. Knowing that it was not the wisest of decisions, she began stepping timidly towards the forest. There was just something that _needed_ her to find it. More chills crawled up her flesh. Ever since she had stepped into this world, she had nothing but shivers at the sheer fantasy of it all.

Nothing seemed right here...

Yet, Kagome admitted with a soft sigh, she admired the subtle beauty of the enclosed realm as she wandered among the emerald fence of leaves surrounding her. The path which she was walking along was illuminated with patches of sunlight that broke through the mystical canopy of leaves that towered above her. But the sunlight flooded a tree in front of her in an unusual fashion, almost as if by some otherworldly force.

"Hmm?" Kagome wondered to herself as she noted the unfiltered light's focus. As she shuffled closer to the towering oak, she fought hard to keep her body from trembling. There was someone there...

Shocked, she cautiously stepped forward, hardly daring to breathe. The sunlight seemed so natural, dancing in a celestial ceremony across the unmoving form. Vines ensnared the body from touch, yet they shrank back when Kagome neared them.

It was a hanyou.

His face was so familiar...

Kagome approached the figure, holding her breath all the while. Her eyes widened at the soft, flowing silver hair that fell across his face in an unkempt manner. There was a serene expression on his face, giving him a sort of adorable innocence. He looked almost peaceful, despite the current state he was in. His body hung limply against the bark, cruelly fastened there with an arrow piercing his flesh.

There was no ignoring the sudden chill that wove itself violently around her body as she reached out and touched his ears, immediately pulling back with a gasp, as if she feared he would awaken at the very touch. Yet, he did not stir. The lack of reaction provoked Kagome to move back towards the dog demon, more curious than cautious this time. Her old habit overtook her, and she did the unthinkable.

She _played_ with his ears. And oddly enough, it felt satisfying. Her hand jerked back as a new sensation of familiarity possessed her, making her stomach lurch uneasily. What scared her the most wasn't realizing that he was, indeed, real, but that he seemed so familiar. Like she had once known him. Her fingers tingled with the sensation, chilling Kagome to the bone.

How had she known to do that? And who _was_ this guy? A frown crinkled her lips as she seriously pondered the question.

He looked so peaceful...

And yet, the handsome face revealed the subtle characteristics of some darker pain. She could swear that she felt this heavy foreboding pulsing from his body.

Without thinking, her fingers wrapped around the protruding arrow, and with a mighty tug, she yanked it free from the demon's chest. The demon's body slid lifelessly to the ground, and it seemed now that he was only sleeping. His hair fell over his face in a tangle of silver wonder. Kagome's hand moved towards his face, curious to know if he was truly real, when the sounds of battle brought her to her senses.

Kouga!

What if he was in danger? The arrow pulsed between her fingertips, and she knew that she had to go back and aid him. With a last mournful glance at the newfound demon, the raven-haired girl rushed towards the place where she had first encountered the wolf demon.

It was her first encounter with a new life, and his last chance with destiny.

A pair of white, furry ears flickered and twitched as their owner stirred, lifting a clawed hand to brush away the errant silver bangs that had fallen over his eyes. Closed eyelids flickered, opening a few moments later to unsheathe pupils that imitated the heated, lush glow of sunlight on a summer's day. Slightly disoriented, he stretched his body, relieving his stiff joints of the dull ache pulling at his muscles. He was in the midst of flexing his powerful claws when it all dawned on him.

He was awake.

Instinctively, his fingers reached his heart, where the arrow was. Where it_ should have been_. Even though he already knew that it was not there, its physical absence shocked him no less.

No scar.

No trace of the arrow's trail after piercing through his chest to his back and into the tree behind him.

No scent of his blood splattered all over the tree.

Nothing.

Someone had released him from the spell that Kikyo had placed on him. But...how? How was it possible? The only person who could break the enchantment was...

Kikyo herself.

Could it be...? Was she the one who had set him free? But why would she release him after she had tried to kill him?

The gravity of betrayal that had been weighing him down before he had been charmed was lifted, and rising in its place was a stirring craving for vengeance. It was only then that he picked up the raw, fresh scent of the miko, plunging him into a realm of cynical amusement. While the odor had mostly faded away, the lingering trace of Kikyo was still tangled in the mix. There was another element to it, almost like the slight spice of a new smell; while Inuyasha was vaguely bewildered by the unusual addition to the miko's aroma, he convinced himself that Kikyo was Kikyo. There was nothing more to it. Or so he thought.

His ears flattened suddenly against his skull, and he growled, wondering what the hell was wrong with them. They felt rather peculiar, in a _satisfied_ sort of manner, and he felt the lightest remembrance of a gentle caress of fingers against his ears...

The thought seemed so real; he could almost _feel_ his ears being touched. But this subconscious content was soon forgotten when his ears flickered and swiveled, scooping up the distinct sounds of battle. Sure enough, the reek of demon slammed into the hanyou at full force, causing him to snort violently. In the foul stench, he picked up the sweetness of another fragrance, one that he could only identify as Kikyo's. It had to be her.

Had to be.

His lips curved into a smirk as he took off to the sky, his body working to savor this feeling that he had been denied so long. The feeling of freedom. Of excitement. He had been awoken, which meant that his life had a purpose. He could theorize nothing more than that being to avenge his death. Kikyo had killed him. At least, she had _tried_ to. Now that he had been brought back, perhaps it was his mission to kill her first. He flexed his claws.

That wench would rue the day she double-crossed him.

"I'm coming for you, Kikyo!" he yelled gleefully, his echo spilling into the forest.

Inuyasha had returned.


	4. Winds of Protection

First Time, Last Chance

Chapter 4

Kouga wiped the sweat from his brow with an impatient gesture. Damn it. This demon should've been dead by now, he thought irritably. With all due respect to modesty, it was well known that he was one of the stronger demons that inhabited this territory. He couldn't pretend _not_ to know it, for after all, he _was _in charge of a whole pack. But with this heavy duty came the drive to protect all those charged under his care. If he didn't kill this demon, who knew how many more would dare tread onto his territory and attack his clan off guard? It was a dirty principle; but then again, what the hell did some of those atrocities know about honor?

The wolf demon growled as he pushed his lean figure towards the sky, the earth spinning wildly beneath his feet as he lunged towards the offensive demon. Hakkaku and Ginta ran underneath him, staying well out of his way as he prepared to strike. Those two, Kouga acknowledged with a grin, would have to gain some more battling experience someday. Despite the fact that other members their age had already killed hundreds of demons, Hakkaku and Ginta were reserved fighters. They would only fight if they saw that Kouga needed help, which was a rare occasion, if any at all.

Besides, he thought, the wind rising up to meet his sword as he sliced off a significant chunk of the demon's body, the two did well enough aiding his scouts, his advisors, and most importantly, his friends. In the pack, all the members were brothers, yet he considered his bond closest to those two.

"Nice job, Kouga!" Hakkaku yelled as the demon toppled, headfirst into the ground. Kouga nodded, but kept a suspicious eye upon the demon. Like he had said, some of the demons he had fought played dirty, and he wasn't sure if this demon was really dead or not. Well, only one way to find out. He adroitly avoided the spraying demon blood as he severed a few feet of its body. At least, if it were alive, that would keep it immobile until he finished it off.

Ginta and his companion approached the demon from behind Kouga. "It looks dead to me, Kouga."

Hakkaku blinked. "Yeah. It definitely couldn't be alive after _that_."

Kouga sighed softly, placing the blade of his sword on his shoulder in a resting position. "So it would appear."

Now that the battle was over, he could concentrate on more grave matters. His casual remark belied the growing bewilderment that had captured him only ten minutes before. That enigma of a girl. It wasn't like he hadn't seen a ningen girl before in these parts before...

It was just...

There was something about her that set her apart from any other ningen he had seen before. Who was she? She was not from around here, Kouga thought, a frown crossing his lips. Her scent only puzzled him even more. Where she walked lingered the sweet fragrance of spring flowers in full blossom. Yet, within the undertone of the scent was an unrecognizable smell. It was a cold and damp one, forcing him to truly wonder where she had come from. None of the other territories emitted that kind of smell...

He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples lightly, growing in fast confusion the more he thought about it. Hakkaku glanced at him. "Say, Kouga...shouldn't we be going back for that girl now?"

"She's pretty, don't you think?" Ginta quipped.

Hakkaku scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Yeah. But she smells weird."

Ginta shrugged. "I guess. Wonder where she's from. I've never seen anyone like her before."

"Neither have I," Kouga noted quietly. After a momentary pause, he opened his eyes. "Let's go."

He began walking towards the place where he had left the young girl, with Hakkaku and Ginta trailing him without a word. It was quiet, he thought suspiciously. Far too quiet. Where were all the birds? They had all taken flight with the arrival of the new demon, but why hadn't they come back? Something wasn't right...

Heavy vibrations in the earth beneath him acknowledged his suspicions. He turned just in time to see the demon's regeneration of its lower snake-like body and tail, the cracking of reborn bones causing him to flinch momentarily. "Hakkaku! Ginta! Find cover!" he barked suddenly. This demon meant business, and he knew it.

The two ran off and watched from behind a tree as their leader gripped the hilt of his katana with a fierce determination for extermination. With a smirk on his lips and his blood pumping defiantly throughout his body, Kouga was ready to fight. "Let's continue from where we left off, shall we?"

The demon shrieked loudly, and from somewhere behind him, Kouga heard his friends yelping in pain. He winced at the shrill vibrations blaring into his ear, yet covered an ear with his hand and swung with his other. However, the noise had caused him a certain unsteadiness in his attack, and he ended up only cutting off a small portion of its upper body. Not even enough to slow it down. The serpent swung forward with its tail, knocking him off his feet and onto the ground. Then, mouth agape, revealing thousands of sharp teeth, the demon lunged towards him, and he braced for the attack.

When he suddenly heard her angelic voice calling out to him. "Kouga!"

The wolf demon turned his head. It was her, standing atop a hill. There was something very different about her now. She appeared almost to be glowing, radiant with unfiltered power as she firmly an arrow in her hand and strung it through her bow.

"Kouga! Duck!" she yelled. In the following seconds that ensued, it seemed like slow motion. He pressed his face closer to the ground, and just in that moment, she released her arrow straight into the mouth of the demon. It felt like the earth had shattered when the serpent writhed around in pain, its insides being torn apart violently. It cried out in agony several times, and Kouga picked himself up off the ground. The ningen girl was running towards him now, two extra arrows clasped between her fingers. The demon, engulfed by a dying rage, whipped its body towards her, hissing wildly. Kouga moved with unhindered agility, the swift ring of his sword echoing throughout the land as he cut it in half with one blow. Yet, it was a second too late, and the demon had cut into the ningen girl with its devious tail. She flinched in pain for a moment, but regained her composure, and with her eyes glowering, pointed an arrow at its forehead and released it.

She seemed abruptly shocked when its body glowed quickly, and shattered into thousands of pieces. The wind carried it away, headed to the land of the deceased. For demons, perhaps that resembled some type of eternal hell. Who really knew?

"Ginta. Hakkaku. Are you all right?" Kouga asked, turning towards his companions.

"We're good!" Ginta replied, while Hakkaku gave him some sort of salute.

The girl, however, didn't seem to be faring as well as the two others. She was shaken up, but why? Had this been her first encounter with demons? And what skill she possessed! Kouga neared her, lifting a brow.

Hakkaku and Ginta were crowded around her, full of questions and a wolfish curiosity. The observant and sensitive Ginta moved closer to the girl, peering at her downcast face. "Are you okay?"

She nodded, but it was a brief nod. It was obvious that she far from it. Kouga sighed, keeping a respectable distance as his two friends comforted the girl. He'd let them handle it for a little bit. Meanwhile, Hakkaku had satisfied his curious nature by examining some sort of cloth object that she carried on her shoulders. He started sniffing around into the object, prodding and curious.

"Hakkaku..." Kouga crossed his arms. This was not exactly the best time for that. Hakkaku grinned sheepishly at the wolf demon, but left it alone.

"So what's your name?" Ginta asked softly.

"...Kagome Higurashi..." she replied.

At the name, Kouga felt his heart pound. A dull ache throbbed in his forehead. Kagome? If he had never met her before, which he knew he hadn't, then why did her name make him feel this way? The way that it registered so easily in his mind worried him.

That was it. He had to know who she was in detail, where she came from, everything that she could tell him. There was something about her...

And he was going to find out what.

However, this onset of questions came to a screeching halt as soon as Kouga noticed the gaping wound on her shoulder. Damn it. She was hurt! And she hadn't even realized it yet. He'd have to heal her himself.

Kouga stepped forward. "Ginta. Hakkaku. Go back to the den. I'll be with you soon. I need to speak with...Kagome."

As the two nodded and rushed off, he was alone with the ningen. He crossed his arms, unsure of how to begin talking to her. After all, he'd never bothered to actually speak to the ningen...

Well, there was no point in this silence.

Kouga took a deep breath and stepped forward...

Shock.

That was what Kagome Higurashi was feeling at that moment.

Absolute shock.

She had just killed a demon. A _demon. _This had to be some sort of hideous dream that was being caused by something that she had eaten. She knew that she shouldn't have eaten those eggs. Those things were bad news. This was all a delusion. She was going crazy.

_Where_...had she gotten that type of power? She had never _touched _a real arrow, so how had she been able to aim and fire it like that? The moment that she had touched the bow with the arrow, Kagome had felt fire well up in her spirit, and she couldn't remember the details of what happened afterward. It just happened. In the clearing, with that other demon, the arrow had been calling to her, and as for the bow, she had found it lying abandoned elsewhere in the forest. When she had stumbled upon the bow, it was lying propped against a tree, with soft leaves surrounding it in a ceremonious circle. Almost as if it had been expecting her. She had picked up an extra arrow or two on her way towards the battle.

"Are you hurt?"

The question drew her away from her train wreck of thoughts, and she turned to stare straight into the eyes of the wolf demon. The intensity of his eyes chilled her straight to the bone, and she took a step backward. But in doing so, she tripped. His arms shot out and caught her, cradling her protectively in an embrace that resembled a hug. Kagome felt herself blushing, and the fact that he was still observing her certainly didn't make things much better.

Bits and pieces of her dreams flew back at her. Hadn't...hadn't someone been holding her like this in her dream? Her body shivered in response to the familiarity of it all. It was just a dream then, but Kagome knew, with the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach, that it was reality right now.

She found her attention slipping away from her after being pulled once more toward his eyes. His eyes flickered over her face, the flecks of blue glimmering softly as he did so. But in exploring the depth of color, Kagome felt a chill. His eyes reminded her of an ice wall, blocking out any visible trace of emotion. So cold...

At this, she shivered again, which brought both of them to their senses.

"Are you hurt?" He repeated again, releasing her to sweep his eyes over his body.

Kagome shook her head nervously. "No- I'm fine!" Except for the fact that she was now in a totally different time period. And the fact that she had just killed a demon with a power that she had never known to exist before. No, everything was just _great_.

He stiffened, and Kagome cautiously followed his gaze down to her shoulder. Her uniform had been torn open there with the demon's claws, and there was a deep gash in its place. Her blood had mostly soaked up the patch of uniform there.

"You _are_ hurt," the wolf demon snarled. At the roughness of his voice, Kagome backed up. But, unfamiliar with the concept of an individual's comfort and discomfort space, he followed her until he had trapped her between himself and a tree. Kagome shifted uncomfortably. Didn't he know that he was intruding into her personal space? There wasn't a way to escape him now.

"This looks deep," Kagome heard Kouga mutter. The wolf demon lowered his face to her shoulder, sniffing at the wound gingerly. His eyes masked his thoughts behind a shield of azure blue. His hands pressed gently on her arms, so that she wouldn't move. But...

What was he going to do?

Kagome panicked as he pressed closer to her shoulder. He wasn't going to touch it, was he? Still tender from battle, the wound tingled with pain, and Kagome flinched at the thought of someone touching it. It would only make it hurt worse! He had to leave it alone!

"Matte! Don't touch it!" She yelped, trying in vain to pull back from his grip.

Either he didn't hear her, or he was trying to ignore her, for he didn't look up once. Kagome winced, waiting for the pain to shoot through her limbs once he touched the wound with his fingers.

She waited for the pain that she knew was probably coming...

And then, Kagome felt her senses tingling when something warm and soft washed over her shoulder. Her heartbeat skyrocketed as the sensation repeated itself, and she felt the flutter of her stomach as the warmth devoured her.

He was licking her.

Her blush, which had died down by now, faithfully rose up and engulfed her face in a swarm of crimson. She had to do something to stop him! But as his tongue rolled over her shoulder, the dizzying feeling that she received sent her plunging into a wave of weakness. It felt...good.

She was trying to make herself think properly, but the only sense that she could make out was that this felt good. _Very _good. Kagome, snap out of it, she ordered herself. But it wasn't working.

This was all very...unnatural. But he was a wolf demon, she suddenly understood. That was what they did for members of their pack whenever wounded. It was natural for them. But she was a human!

Kagome stiffened at the sudden pain that shot through her shoulder. The rippling pain moved through the rest of her body, and brought her back to her senses. She pushed Kouga's arms away, which caused him to cease his actions. He straightened his head, watching her carefully. The warmth fled from her body immediately, her shoulder still bristling in delight where he had been…

...Tending the wound.

"What are you doing? Your wound needs healing." Kouga moved to restart the healing process.

"Matte!" Kagome yelped.

He looked up again, his brow raised in a skeptical glance.

"Isn't there...another way to heal it? Couldn't I just have a bandage or something?" Kagome blushed.

He blinked, as if he didn't understand her discomfort, and then nodded. "Hai. But we'll have to return to my den."

Thoughts of home fluttered into her mind. Home...she had to worry about getting home too, didn't she? Had it really been just an hour ago that she had been sitting at home with her family opening presents? She knew that she shouldn't have gone into the shrine. That well had always given her a feeling of dread, and just look at where she was now...

On the other hand, Kagome sighed, Kouga said that the wound was deep. It was just better to focus on recovering for now. She had to worry about surviving first, then returning home second.

"You..."

Kagome looked up at the sound of Kouga's voice.

The wolf paused, shifting his position. "...You don't have to worry about me hurting you...I'm a demon, but I don't attack ningen like other..." He snarled at the demon carcass behind him, "...demons do."

Kagome was evidently surprised by his words, even comforted. He didn't seem like the type to say such things...

Was it _really_ safe for her to leave with him? Kagome paused, ignoring the fluttering of her heart as she brought her eyes up to meet his. Kouga stared back at her with that intense, solemn gaze of his, clearly curious to know what she was doing. But he didn't speak a word, only smirking very lightly.

His eyes were glowing...

Warmth seeped through her body, and it was then she knew he was trustworthy. "Hai. I'll go with you."

He smiled softly, for the second time since she had met him. Swiftly moving forward, he scooped her up into her arms, despite Kagome's protests. "Are you ready, Kagome?"

The way that he had spoken her name made her blush for some unknown reason, and she leaned warily against his shoulder. "I'm ready."

She was ready...

* * *

(A.N.: I'm leaving for vacation soon, and I won't be back for two weeks, so I'm doing my best to update as much as possible! Please review this chapter and let me know what you guys think! I'll be back with an update for my stories as soon as I can, so please be patient with me! Much love to you all! -Xi) 

Matte- Means "Wait!"


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